The present invention relates to a physical training apparatus and method for training athletes such as golfers and baseball players who rely on generating power by rotation of the hips. More particularly, it relates to a swing training apparatus and method for providing forces of either constant or varying magnitude opposing the rotation of the hips through the range of motion during the golf or baseball swing.
Physical training and conditioning have long been recognized as desirable for improving various motor skills to thereby improve the performance of an athlete, the rehabilitation of a physical therapy patient, or the overall physical well-being of the trainee. Training with resistance while performing specific movements with the body has been found to be very effective in improving various physical abilities such as functional strength, running speed, first-step quickness, jumping ability, and kicking ability. Such resistance training is increasingly becoming favored over training with heavy weights using slow non-sports specific motions.
For example, if an athlete wants to run faster it has been found to be more beneficial to apply light resistance to the leg muscles while running than by performing a press with the legs with heavy weights. Both of these training methods will strengthen the leg muscles of the athlete, however, the high-speed training by providing light resistance while running allows the athlete to generate more power at high speeds since the muscle is conditioned with resistance at high speeds. Training the muscles using slow movement with resistance promotes power generation at slow speeds since the muscle is conditioned at slow speeds. Both training methods are important to most athletes. However, for athletic performance optimization at high speeds the muscles must be physically and neurologically trained at high speeds. The term “training vector” as used herein shall mean a force opposing the motion of a portion of a trainee through a predetermined range of motion. The magnitude and direction of a training vector may be relatively constant or may vary through the predetermined range of motion.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,968,028 and 4,863,163 entitled “Vertical Jump Exercise Apparatus” issued to the inventor of the present invention each disclose resistance training apparatus for vertical jump training and conditioning. The prior art system disclosed in the Wehrell patents applies two training vectors having relatively constant magnitude to the hips of the trainee for applying resistance to the legs while performing the jumping motion.
A later modification of the exercise apparatus disclosed in the Wehrell patents provided relatively constant resistance to the back of the knees of a trainee performing a running motion by attaching the elastic members of the exercise apparatus to detachable leg harnesses worn by the trainee. This embodiment provided resistance for training the hip flexors of the trainee at high speeds.
Similarly, if an athlete wants to generate more power by rotation of the hips, it will be beneficial to apply light resistance to the rotation of the hips as the athlete performs a specific athletic movement such as swinging a golf club or a baseball/softball bat. Such rotational training of the hips may be beneficial to other athletes such as soccer players, place kickers, track and field athletes, tennis players, and athletes of other racket sports.
One prior art system illustrated in FIG. 1 provides pulleys with resistance bands attached to walls to provide lateral resistance vectors A and B. The walls and/or cords in this configuration will interfere with the path of a golf club when performing a natural swing and the vectors A and B fail to provide a relatively constant training vector to each hip during the full range of motion in a golf swing.
There remains a need for a physical training apparatus that applies training vectors opposing the rotation of the hips while performing sports specific movements.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to obviate many of the deficiencies in the prior art and to provide a novel physical training apparatus and method.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus and method for providing training vectors opposing the rotation of the hips of an athlete.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus and method for providing training vectors of relatively constant magnitude opposing the hips of an athlete performing a golf swing.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus and method for providing training vectors of relatively constant magnitude opposing the hips of an athlete performing a baseball or softball swing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus and method for providing at least two training vectors opposing rotation of the lower body of an athlete performing a sports specific athletic movement.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus and method for providing multiple training vectors opposing rotation of the hips and shoulders of an athlete performing a sports specific movement.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel swing training apparatus and method for improving the club head speed in a golf swing.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus and method for improving the bat speed in a baseball swing.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.